I'm new to these cars/motors so the more info the better. I cannot find a definite answer on what the problem is/what I need to fix.

I just got this car yeterday so I'm not really sure how a good running beetle should perform. It starts good, kinda loud...not quite as loud as a diesel truck though. Seems like there may be a little power loss in the higher rpms. This may all be normal...I'm just shooting out information.

Also, when I was driving the car home yeterday I saw the CEL on but it was VERY dim. Today the light is gone. Went to Autozone today and got the code above. I'm kinda thinking that the light was tampered with so that the car would appear in good condition but I'm unsure. Anyone heard of this before?

Please do yourself a favor and quit taking the car to Autozone for their generic scan tool's uselessness.

You need to get a GOOD Volkswagen-specific scantool. Ross-tech's VAG-COM is an excellent one that works on any PC.

I'm thinking about it but...what benefit does this tool have over autozones? I got the correct code and theres plenty of information on this website to reference it...so what makes it so much better (serious question...debating on buying it).

Also, can I adjust my injection timing with this software or am I confused?

Generic scan tools often to not retrieve ALL the stored DTCs. On any make of car, not just Volkswagens. There may be 3 or 4 more DTCs stored, and when looked at together may reveal clues as to the true nature of the problem.

I work on cars for a living, and have seen and used all kinds of scan tools on all kinds of cars. The generic ones just are not that great. They miss things, and are very limited on overall capabilities. Try asking Autozone to access any one of the other 10+ modules in your car!

The VAG-COM works just as well, in some cases actually better [easier] than the official VAG scan tools that the dealers use. In fact some dealer techs even use the VAG-COM! It will do far more than anything any generic scan tool can do, and it is not all that expensive.

Autozone and places like them cause so much stupid problems with half-assed "code reading" for DIY's and all they are really concerned about is selling you a bunch of parts.

And yes, you can use the VAG-COM software to check and adjust your injection timing.

I'm thinking about it but...what benefit does this tool have over autozones? I got the correct code and theres plenty of information on this website to reference it...so what makes it so much better (serious question...debating on buying it).

Also, can I adjust my injection timing with this software or am I confused?

David

To the best of my knowledge only VAG specific software can reach the other controllers, such as the airbag and ABS controllers. I found this out when a airbag light came on shortly after I bought my Jetta and a generic OBD saw no problems and could not reset it. I purchased a cable from lubrication specialist and downloaded the shareware VAG COM to work with it. This enabled me to read and clear codes on all controllers in the car.

I should note that this cable is not compatible with the newest cars that use the CAN bus, so this option may not be available to you if you have an A5 or a B6 vehicle.

Bumping this thread from the dead, in the hopes that it helps someone else out. Our NB had the same code & problem last year. VCDS said '17656 - Injection Start Regulation: Control Deviation P1248 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent', the car was smokey, noisy & down on power. Timing in VCDS was pegged full advance (255) and statically retarding the timing gained a bit of power back.

Pulled the pump and sent it to DFIS, who corroborated my guess that the advance solenoid was broken & wedged full advance. One rebuild later, the pump was back in (and after figuring out the flywheel had two TDC marks) it fired up and has worked perfectly since.